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Sunday, January 31, 2016

Falcon Song by Kristin CrossKate can handle that Jason Falcon is gorgeous.
And she can handle that he is fantastically talented, and competent, and funny, and sweet, and . . . . well, all of the things he is.
What she isn’t sure she can handle is that he and his country band have suddenly become wildly famous.
Even though she has always known that he near worships her, with millions of girls now throwing themselves at him, Kate is afraid that Jason will find he no longer loves Kate best. Then, when she discovers something completely earth shattering, it only makes her more unsure.
Realizing that she can never settle for less than absolute devotion, as she is struggling to find what her place will be in Jason’s new top of the charts world, Kate wonders how you can ever truly know that things will work out.

Does True Love Always Lead To Happily Ever After?

Praise for Falcon Song
“So much emotion came through the words of this story. I felt it all—regret, forgiveness, redemption, and a powerful love that wrapped it all together. I had a hard time putting it down. This story really touched me!” DL
“I loved this story! Jason is one of my favorite heroes ever. I felt like I was right there with them through it all.” JM

Excerpt
Kate found Jason asleep on the porch swing again. Her drive had left her drained, without answers and somewhat resigned. As she looked down at him sleeping, still, the only thing she really knew was that she loved him. Loved him dearly. In spite of everything.
When it came right down to it, that was what made her happy. She wished there was a way to separate this crushing heartache from the sweet peace she felt when she was with him. Who knows, maybe she could get really good at ignoring the parts of his life she didn’t understand. She sat down on the edge of the swing and touched his beautiful hair.
His eyes opened slowly and this time there wasn’t a smile, but there was a sweet, sincere tenderness as he quietly watched her for a few seconds. She stroked his cheek and then ran a finger over his sensuous bottom lip. Even if he wasn’t perfectly trustworthy, he was definitely beautiful. She kissed the tip of her finger and put it back there on his lip and said softly, “Wake up, sleepy head. You’re gonna get a million ‘squito bites out here.”
He sat up and reached out to touch her cheek. “I’ll live. How was Texas?”
She sat down beside him. “Still big.”
He smiled sadly, “I told Cody you’d driven to Texas to talk to God. He said he didn’t even realize God lived there. He’s decided that’s why Texans are egotistical.”
She laughed. “That’s exactly what I needed just now. Laughing feels good. I thought I didn’t get to see you until tomorrow? What brings you tonight?”
He groaned and made a sound of disgust. “Ah, I Googled myself. It was awful.”
She pushed the porch swing with her foot. “I know.”
“I’m not really as bad as it looks. I swear.”
“I know.”

Author Kristin Cross

Kristin Cross was a mostly obedient child—unless her mom wanted her to put her book down.
She grew up in the Rockies and traveled with her family enough to want to travel more and have adventures in all those exotic looking places on the map that she hasn’t been to—yet. Now, as an adult, she also loves relaxing at home in the mountains and coming up with stories about those places.
Motherhood has been her best time yet, and she wishes she’d had more than just four marvelous children. She loves a good storm, a beautiful sunset, the wind in her face, puppies, and fresh mangos with her shrimp.
And her husband, DJ. She truly adores DJ.

Book Blast Giveaway – $100 Amazon Gift Card or $100 in Paypal Cash
Ends 2/12/16
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the participating authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Friday, January 29, 2016

Casey knows the truth. But it won’t set her free.
Casey Cox’s DNA is all over the crime scene. There’s no use talking
to police; they have failed her abysmally before. She has to flee before
she’s arrested . . . or worse. The truth doesn’t matter anymore.
But what is the truth? That’s the question haunting Dylan Roberts,
the war-weary veteran hired to find Casey. PTSD has marked him damaged
goods, but bringing Casey back can redeem him. Though the crime scene
seems to tell the whole story, details of the murder aren’t adding up.
Casey Cox doesn’t fit the profile of a killer. But are Dylan’s skewed
perceptions keeping him from being objective? If she isn’t guilty, why
did she run?
Unraveling her past and the evidence that condemns her will take more
time than he has, but as Dylan’s damaged soul intersects with hers, he
is faced with two choices. The girl who occupies his every thought is a
psychopathic killer . . . or a selfless hero. And the truth could be the
most deadly weapon yet.Learn more and purchase a copy.

Casey Cox doesn’t fit the profile of a killer . . . but her
DNA is all over the crime scene, and she’s now a fugitive. Don’t miss
Terri Blackstock’s next page-turner, If I Run.
Unraveling her past and the evidence that condemns her will take more
time than Dylan has, the war-weary veteran hired to find Casey. But as
Dylan’s damaged soul intersects with hers, he is faced with two choices.
The girl who occupies his every thought is a psychopathic killer . . .
or a selfless hero. And the truth could be the most deadly weapon yet.

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on February 16th. The winner will be announced February 17th on the Litfuse blog.
Plus don’t miss out on the special $4.99 digital pre-order pricing,
now through February 15. Pre-order the book through your favorite e-book
retailer; details here.

About The Author

Terri Blackstock has sold over seven million books worldwide and is a
New York Times bestselling author. She is the award-winning author of
“Intervention,” “Vicious Cycle,” and “Downfall,” as well as such series
as Cape Refuge, Newpointe 911, the SunCoast Chronicles, and the
Restoration Series.
Find out more about Terri at http://www.terriblackstock.com.

My Review

I love Terri Blackstock’s books, and If I Run is no exception, although the ending did leave me with hope of another book. What
would you do if you entered your friend’s home and saw him covered in
blood? A knife protruding from him? Probably the same as Casey did, she
tried to give him CPR, checked his pulse, pulled out the knife, and
tracked her shoe prints all over the crime scene. Of course, she left
her DNA there, and took the knife with her.When her car is later
found with the weapon in it, whom do you think the police and public
think committed the murder? Now we follow Casey on the run, and was it a
mistake to run? As we go deeper and deeper into this story you begin to
understand her reasoning.What a smart girl Casey is and seems to
always be two steps ahead of those who are following her. Can she get
safely away and make a new life for herself? She loves her mother and
her sister, how do you give up family. My heart cried for her and the
injustice that is happening, and what compassion she shows her fellow
humans, not the heart of a murderer.Once you pick this book up you
won’t want to put it down until the last page is turned, and then you
will be looking and hoping soon for another book, don’t miss this, you
won’t regret it!I received this book through Litfuse Publicity Book Tours, and was not required to give a positive review.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Lillian Porter has
always wanted to fulfill her mother's dream of going west, so when she
hears about a nanny position in Angels Camp, California, she defies her
grandfather and takes a chance on a new future. But she quickly wonders
if she made the right choice. There are rumors in town that her new
employer, Woodward Colton, caused the death of his wife. This accusation
doesn't match the man Lillian comes to know--and Mrs. Goodman, Woody's
long-time housekeeper, is decisively on Woody's side--but many in town
stay far away from Lillian because of her association with the Colton
family.

Lillian's six-year-old charge, Jimmy, was there when his
mother died, and he hasn't spoken a word since. Gently, Lillian tries to
coax him out of his shell, hoping he'll one day feel safe enough to
tell her the truth about what happened. But the Colton olive farm is no
longer a safe place. Lillian encounters suspicious characters on their
land and mysterious damage done to the farm. Will Mrs. Goodman and Jimmy
be able to speak what they know in time to save Lillian from tragedy?

One grand prize winner will receive:

One copy of Beyond the Silence

A Kindle Fire 7

A $50 Amazon gift card to load your Fire with books

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on 2/11. The winner will be announced at the Beyond the Silence Facebook party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Tracie, Kimberley, and other readers, as well as for a chance to win other prizes!

RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or PINTEREST and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 11th!

About The Authors

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than
100 novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of
conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical
research. She and her family live in Montana. **||** Kimberley Woodhouse
is a multipublished author of fiction and nonfiction. A popular
speaker/teacher, she’s shared her theme of Joy Through Trials with over
150,000 people at more than a thousand venues across the country. She
lives, writes, and homeschools with her husband of twenty-plus years and
their two awesome teens live in Colorado.

This story opens on such a sad note with a heinous crime of murder in
front of a six year old, who becomes so traumatized that he never talks
again. Who would do such an evil thing, and then to make things worse,
if possible, Jimmy’s dad Woody is accused of killing his wife.Enter
Lillian Porter whom as the book opens has made a decision that is about
to affect every ones life, she is going to go west and take a job as a
nanny. Now Lillian has grown up sheltered and with a silver spoon type
of life, and now she is defying her Grandfather, who in the end disowns
her. She was orphaned as a baby and raised by her wealthy grandparents,
but now wants to follow in her mother’s footsteps.We are about to
experience life in Angels Camp California, and are surprised how the man
they know and loved is now treated. There is some violence and tears,
and chuckles and laughs, a bit of romance, and as we follow this story
we move in with these characters and live with them.I enjoyed this
book, and see how we can make rash decisions, and how they effect
everyone, not just us. I loved particularly the character of Henry,
simple-minded gentle giant; he was a joy in this book. Enjoy this
captivating story about a real town in the old west.I received this book through Litfuse Publicity Book Tour, and was not required to give a positive review.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Ship happens. Cruises can be quite the adventure within an adventure if
you keep your eyes open and watch the little dramas that are going on
among the several thousand passengers and crew members aboard the ship.
Reading author Lori A. Moore’s true tales of things that happen on the
high seas will have you saying, “Oh Ship!” From stories of passengers
pepper-spraying other passengers to grown men fighting over glass
figurines of penguins, you’ll laugh until your ribs hurt.

About The Author

Lori A. Moore is an award-winning author and
professor who doesn’t take herself too seriously and believes her
greatest gift to be silliness. A public speaker and consultant, Lori has
four graduate degrees in business. Lori, her husband, and their
four-legged child live in Louisville, KY. An avid traveler, she has
explored much of the globe, finding and bringing silliness to all
places.
For More Information
• Visit Lori Moore’s website.
• Connect with Lori on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Lori at Goodreads.

https://youtu.be/FuhsJgWk3ng

My Review

Be ready for quite a few chuckles, and some serious information that is
provided, like about the morgue on ship. Guess I never thought about
there being one, but guess they could be necessary, you sure wouldn’t
want a body in with the food!
If a book can make you want to take a
cruise, this one sure can, the author has sure been on a lot of them. I
never knew about decorating your door, and although I’ve only been on
two and it has been a few years.
She gives some really valuable hints at the end on each chapter, things you don’t think of and can be very beneficial to heed.
This
book is only 134 pages long, but filled with experiences that will keep
you page turning and wanting more, my main complaint is that I wanted a
bit more.
Come along and travel with Lori and her friends, you will feel like you are on these marvelous trips with them, want to dance?
I received this book through Pump Up Your Book Blogger Tours, and was not required to give a positive review

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

A handsome newcomer with secrets shows a yearning Amish woman a
chance at happiness—but their love will need all their courage to keep .
. .

Grace Blauch is skilled at midwifery—and crafting
quilts that help others pass on messages of enduring family love. But a
disfiguring birthmark keeps the young Amish woman from a husband and
home of her own—until Mark King arrives from another community. His
helpfulness and independent nature earn Grace’s respect. And he finds
her outspoken ways and determination to do right irresistibly appealing.
Soon Grace is planning a wedding quilt of her very own . . . until her
father discovers that Mark’s shunned brother is hiding somewhere in town
. . .

Grace can well understand why Mark took such a risk
once she hears his wrenching reasons. But she fears even prayer will not
convince her father to restore his blessing on their union. She wills
herself to face the end of her dreams, but sudden danger and an
impossible act of generosity will show her that abiding hope can inspire
the most precious of miracles.

I
said to my loving husband, Ed, “I’ve always wanted to write a book. A
story that readers would get lost in for a while.” He said, “Do it!” My
daughter, Misty, brother, Mitch, and Mom, Sue said, “Take Ed’s advice,
do it!” So I did. The road wasn’t easy, but the education, Amish research, and ride along the way to getting published taught me to take my favorite verse to heart.
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13 KJV
Why Amish Inspirational Romance?
I love their dedication to
serve God. I visited Amish Country in Ohio many times. They work hard
and have such a close knit friendship with each other. It’s
heartwarming and uplifting. At the same time, they face hardships and
difficult problems just like we do.
God answered my prayers and
gave me the best mentor, author, and friend, Patricia Campbell, to hone
my skills. I’m blessed to have Dawn Dowdle as my agent, and John S.
from Kensington as my editor.
I’m thank for you, the reader, for being interested in my book! I’d love to hear from you.

Grace’s Forgiveness brings home what people that are different have
dealt with all of their lives. For Grace it was being born with a mark
on her face, and we meet with people who won’t even look at her, never
mind letting her wait on them in her store. The setting for this
book is Berlin Ohio, and living in a conservative Amish community. This
is a very strict way of life, and it appeared that you could be shunned
for something we would find very innocent, but the setting is 1900, and
things were very different. From the minute we meet Mark King, we
find a connection sparking between Grace and Mark, and he doesn’t seem
to even notice her birthmark. Can these two overcome the actions of
others, and it surprised me what can cause you to be shunned. I
enjoyed the kindness of this community, and how they all come together
and help one another. We are even with Ruth, when as a midwife; she
helps deliver a few babies.There is some danger in this community and it has landed at Mark’s doorstep, and we hope that all will survive in the end.I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zebra, and was not required to give a positive review.

Monday, January 25, 2016

About Cats in Paris

This gorgeously illustrated adult coloring book draws
readers into the secret world of cats in Paris as they explore the
city’s most famous (and feline-friendly) spots.

Say bonjour
to the cats of Paris as they slink through its fabled streets and
alleyways, from Montmartre to the Shakespeare and Company bookshop and
into a feline-filled land of playful imagination. Featuring intricate
pen-and-ink drawings of tabbies, Persians, Siamese, and more, this
evocative coloring book’s frisky kitties lie in wait for your colorful
stylings.

About the Author

Won-Sun Jang is an award-winning Korean illustrator whose work has appeared in Vogue Korea, Elle Korea, Bazaar Korea, and InStyle Korea,
and clients include MAC Cosmetics and Clinique. Winner of the
Children’s Books Illustration Award from Kemongsa Publishers, she
currently works as a package designer in Seoul, Korea. Since meeting Eva
the Norwegian Forest Cat fourteen years ago, she has fallen in love
with cats and the inspiration they bring to her art.

My Review

If you looking for a new adult coloring book, a rage that seems to be
going on at this time, then this one might just be the one you are
looking for!The cover will draw you in, especially if you like cats,
and books, and I can just picture a feline lying in amongst the books
on a shelf. We have darling quotes and really sweet pictures, to color
of course, but also to make you smile.Once I got out my coloring
tools, the only question I had was where to start, I saw many pages that
my fingers itched to start coloring on, there are so many choices with
80 pages to choose from. Let your imagination go as you pick up your
pencil, or crayon, and have fun.You will not be disappointed here, such a magical coloring book!I received this book through Blogging For Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

When Miss Lydia
Garrett's guardian is murdered, and the authorities refuse to
investigate the odd circumstances, she vows to catch the culprit. The
same night the Earl of Danbury is murdered in his bed. Against all odds
it appears that the murders are related - and Anthony Douglas, the new
Lord Danbury, is bent on revenge. The clues point to the former Earl's
first naval command. In 1758 the Earl spirited away and hid the
magnificent Peacock Throne at the behest of the Indian royal family. To
draw out the murderer, Anthony and Lydia agree that they must locate the
throne. However, they are not the only ones interested in the Peacock
Throne. Marcus Wiltshire, agent of His Majesty's intelligence services,
has received hints that Bonaparte intends to return the throne to India
and leverage its mystical significance to foment rebellion and cut
England off from her most important trading partner. When the amateur
sleuths join forces with the professional agent, the quest for the
throne leads them around the globe on an adventure steeped in danger,
treachery, and romance.

Influenced
by books like The Secret Garden and The Little Princess, Lisa Karon
Richardson’s early stories were heavy on boarding schools and creepy
houses. Now, even though she’s (mostly) grown-up she still loves a
healthy dash of adventure in any story she creates, even her real-life
story. She’s been a missionary to the Seychelles and Gabon and now that
she and her husband are back in America, they are tackling a new
adventure, starting a daughter-work church in a new city while raising a
family. She has published several novels and novellas. The most
recent, Curtain Call, which was co-authored with Jennifer AlLee,
released in March, 2014.

My Review

Murders that happened on different sides of London end up connecting two
people whom are unknown to one another at the time, end up forming a
team to find the murderer.This is how Lydia Garrett and The Earl of
Danbury end up meeting; the third to join the team is Marcus Harting, an
agent of His Majesty’s intelligence services. Marcus does not trust
Anthony, The Earl of Danbury, and enlists Lydia to bring him
information. Now while I didn’t like that he was making her spy on
someone whom was kind to her, I did love how he treated her. I could
just imagine the gown that he had made for her, for the party that they
went to in India.Yes we do a bit of traveling in this book, and
there are more murders, and we find ourselves on a ship under cannon
fire. Now this story takes place in the early 1800’s and Napoleon is
leading the French, and we meet this head on. We also get a glimpse of a
throne of incredible worth and beauty, and it is described so
wonderfully, you feel like you can tough it. There is so much action
in this book, and Ms. Lydia is one awesome young woman, never a dull
moment in this ladies life, whether she is climbing through windows, or
cutting the lines of grappling hooks, or writing notes with clues hidden
in them. Don’t miss this intriguing read; you won’t want to put it down.I received this book through Kregel Publishing Book Bloggers, and was not required to give a positive review.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

An immersion
in French countryside, gourmet attitude, and light-hearted mystery.

Two amateur sleuths
gumshoe around French wine country, where money, deceit, jealousy, inheritance
and greed are all the ingredients needed for crime. Master winemaker Benjamin
Cooker and his sidekick Virgile Lanssien solve mysteries in vineyards with a
dose of Epicurean enjoyment of fine food and beverage. Each story is a homage
to wine and winemakers, as well as a mystery.

In Treachery
in Bordeaux, barrels at the prestigious grand cru Moniales Haut-Brion wine
estate in Bordeaux have been contaminated. Is it negligence or sabotage?

In Grand Cru
Heist, Benjamin Cooker’s world gets turned upside down one night in
Paris. He retreats to the region around Tours to recover. He and his
assistant Virgile turn PI to solve two murders and very particular heist.

In Nightmare
in Burgundy, a dream wine tasting trip to Burgundy that turns into a
troubling nightmare when Cooker and his assistant stumble upon a mystery
revolving around messages from another era.

This made-for-TV series is "difficult
to forget and oddly addictive" (ForeWord Reviews).

For More Information

Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen, wine lover and music lover respectively, came up with the
idea for the Winemaker Detective series while sharing a meal, with a bottle of
Château Gaudou 1996, a red wine from Cahors with smooth tannins and a balanced
nose. The series has 24 titles to date and is a hit TV series in France. So far
10 have been translated. Jean-Pierre Alaux currently lives in southwestern
France and Noël in Paris. They both are full-time writers and participate in
the TV adaptation of their series.

Translator Sally Panestudied French at State University of New York
Oswego and the Sorbonne before receiving her Masters Degree in French
Literature from the University of Colorado. She has translated several titles
in this series.

And Anne Trager has a
passion for crime fiction that equals her love of France. After years working
in translation, publishing and communications, she founded the mystery and
thriller publishing house Le French Book, dedicated to picking top mysteries
and thrillers from France and translating them into English.

Their latest book is the cozy mystery, The Winemaker Detective: An
Omnibus.

The
morning was cool and radiant. A west wind had swept the clouds far inland to
the gentle hills beyond the city of Bordeaux. Benjamin Cooker gave two
whistles, one short, the other drawn out, and Bacchus appeared from the high
grass on the riverbank. He had that impertinent look Irish setters get when you
remind them that they are dogs. Benjamin liked this clever and deceptively
disciplined attitude. He would never roam his childhood landscapes with an
animal that was too docile. The Médoc was still wild, despite its well-ordered
garden veneer, and it would always be that way. In the distance, a few low
wisps of fog were finishing their lazy dance along the Gironde Estuary. It was
nearly eleven and time to go home.

The Grangebelle’s graceful shape rose among the poplar trees. The
building would have seemed bulky, were it not for the elegant roof, the lightly
draped pergola, the delicate sparkling of the greenhouse, and the old varnished
vases set out in the vegetation with studied negligence. Elisabeth moved
silently among the copper pots in the kitchen. She shivered slightly when he
kissed her neck. He poured himself a cup of Grand Yunnan tea with slow and
precise movements. She knew he was tired. She was perfectly aware of his nights
of poor sleep, the deleted pages, the files he relentlessly ordered and
reordered, the doubts he had when he completed a tasting note, his concern for
the smallest detail, and the chronic worry that he would deliver his manuscript
late and disappoint his publisher. Benjamin had worked in his office until five
in the morning, taking refuge in the green opaline halo of his old Empire-style
lamp. Then he had slipped under the covers to join her, his body ice-cold and
his breathing short.

Who could have imagined that France’s most famous winemaker, the
established authority who caused both grand cru estate owners and unknown young
vintners to tremble, was, in fact, a man tormented by the meaning of his words,
the accuracy of his judgments, and an objectivity that he brandished like a
religious credo? When it came time to hand over a manuscript, his self-doubts
assailed him—the man whom the entire profession thought of as entrenched in
certainty and science and masterfully accomplished in the fine art of
critiquing wines. Benjamin Cooker knew that everyone, without exception, would
be waiting for his book to arrive in the stores. They would be weighing his
qualifiers and judging his worst and best choices. It was essential that the
publication of his guide never blemish his reputation as a winemaker and a
sought-after, even secret, advisor in the art of elaborating wines. He made it
a point of honor and proved it with his sometimes scathing criticism of wines
he himself had crafted. To him, moral integrity stemmed more often than not
from this astonishing faculty of uncompromising self-judgment, even when it was
forced and terribly unfair. He sometimes thought it belonged to another
century, a faraway time, when self-esteem and a certain sense of honor
prevailed over the desire for recognition.

He closed his eyes as he drank his tea. He knew that this moment of rest
would not last long and that he should make the most of it, appreciating these
slow, spread-out seconds. Elisabeth remained quiet.

“Send him to me as soon as he gets here. I need to have a few words with
him before lunch,” he said, calmly setting down his cup.

Benjamin Cooker dragged himself back to the half-light of his office. He
spent more than an hour examining his tasting notes for a Premières Côtes de
Blaye and finished by persuading himself that there was nothing left to add.
However, his preamble about the specific characteristics of the soil and the
vineyard’s history was a little short on information, despite his in-depth
knowledge of every acre. There was nothing wrong with what he had written, but
nothing really specific either. He would have to draw a more detailed picture,
refine the contours, and play with an anecdote or two to clarify the text. He
did not even lift his eyes from his notes when the doorbell rang out in the
hallway. He was nervously scribbling some poetic lines about the Blaye citadel
when Elisabeth knocked at the door. She knocked three more times before he told
her to come in.

“Our guest has arrived, Benjamin.”

“Welcome, young man!” the winemaker said, pushing his glasses to his
forehead.

An athletic and honest-looking young man with short hair honored him
with a strong handshake that left Benjamin wondering if his fingers would still
work.

“So you’re Virgile Lanssien,” Benjamin said, lowering his reading
glasses to the tip of his nose.

He invited the young man to sit down and observed him over the top of
his lenses for a minute. His dark, pensive good looks would have been almost
overwhelming, were it not for the spark of mischief in his eyes. He was dressed
simply in a pair of slightly washed-out jeans, a navy blue polo shirt, and
white sneakers. He was smart enough not to feign a laid-back attitude when
everything about him was on edge. Benjamin appreciated people who did not
posture.

“I have heard a lot about the time you spent at the wine school.
Professor Dedieu was unending in his praise for your work, and I have to admit
that I was rather impressed by your thesis. I have a copy of it here. The title
is a little complicated, Maceration Enzyme Preparation: Mechanism of Action
and Reasonable Use, but your reasoning was straightforward and clear,
particularly the section about blind tasting an enzymatic treatment of cabernet
sauvignon must. Well done, very well done! Please do excuse me for not having
been part of the jury when you defended your dissertation.”

“I won’t hide my disappointment, sir.”

“In any case, my presence would not have changed the result: You greatly
deserved the honors you received. I had an emergency call that day to care for
some grapevines in Fronsac, and it couldn’t wait. The flowering was tricky and
required quite a bit of attention.”

“I understand, sir. Did you save them at least?”

“More or less. There were enough grapes for me to offer you a bottle,”
Benjamin said, smiling.

The young man settled into the armchair and relaxed a little. He knew
that these formalities foreshadowed a flow of questions that he would have to
answer with candor and precision. Benjamin Cooker was a master no cheating
could fool. Virgile had read everything written by this man, whose reputation
stretched as far as North America and South Africa. He had also heard
everything there was to know about the “flying winemaker”—all the scandal
mongering and bitter words, along with the passionate commentaries and praise.
Everything and its opposite were the usual lot of exceptional people, the
ransom paid by those who had succeeded in imposing their singularity.

Virgile Lanssien tried to hide his apprehension and answered the sudden
volley of questions that descended on him as distinctly as possible. They
covered so many topics—layering, copper sulfate spraying, sulfur dioxide
additions, microclimates, grand cru longevity, aging on lees, filtering and
fining, gravel or limestone soils, fermentation temperatures, primary aromas,
and degrees of alcohol—in such disorder, yet Virgile managed to avoid the traps
with a skilled farmer’s cunning.

“Well, Virgile—I can call you Virgile, can’t I? I think that after these
appetizers, we have earned the right to a meal.”

Elisabeth, wearing a checkered apron tied at her waist, welcomed them
into the kitchen.

“We will eat in the kitchen, if that does not bother you, Mr. Lanssien.”

“To the contrary, ma’am. May I help with anything?”

“Why don’t you set the table. The plates are in that cupboard. The
cutlery is here.”

Benjamin was surprised to see his wife accept the young man as if he
were already part of the family. But Elisabeth knew her man well enough to
guess that the job interview was going well.

The winemaker grabbed three stem glasses and poured the wine he had
decanted that morning, before the walk with Bacchus.

“Taste this, Virgile.”

Benjamin observed his future assistant while he cut the bread and placed
the even slices in a basket. The boy knew how to taste. He used his eyes, his
nose, and his palate in a natural way, with the attitude of someone who knew
more than he showed.

“Wine can be so good when it’s good!”

An amused smile crossed Benjamin’s lips. The young man had a talent for
finding the truth beneath the surface but also a certain guilelessness. Virgile
was a cultivated ingénue with enough freshness and spontaneity to compensate
for the long years he had focused entirely on his studies.

“I will not be so cruel as to subject you to a blind tasting,” Benjamin
said, turning the empty bottle to display the label.

“Haut-Brion 1982!” the young man said with a note of rapture. “To tell
you the truth, I’ve never tasted one of these before.”

“Enjoy it then. It’s harder and harder to grab this vintage away from
the small-time speculators who are complicating our lives.”

“I made something simple,” Elisabeth interrupted, putting an old
cast-iron casserole on the table.

Virgile paused, unfolded his napkin, and gave the pot an apprehensive
look. Large chunks of eel floated in a thick greenish sauce filled with so many
herbs, it looked like a patch of weeds.

“I know, at first glance it does not look very appetizing, but it is a
recipe that deserves overcoming your first impression.”

“I think I know what it is.”

“Lamprey à la Bordelaise. It’s a classic,” said Elisabeth.

“With this dish, you should always drink the wine that was used in the
cooking,” Benjamin said, dishing out generous portions. “And nothing is better
with lamprey than a red Graves.”

Virgile stuck his fork into a piece of eel, dipped it in the sauce, and
nibbled at it.

“It is first rate, Mrs. Cooker! Excellent.”

“And now, let’s try a little of this Haut-Brion with that,” Benjamin
suggested. “Just a swallow, and then tell me what you think.”

Virgile did as he was told, with a pleasure he had some trouble hiding.

“It is beautifully complex, particularly with the tannins that are very
present. Rather surprising but not aggressive.”

Benjamin remained silent and savored his lamprey.

“It leaves a very smooth sensation in the mouth,” Virgile continued.
“And yet it has a kind of grainy texture.”

“Very perceptive. That is typical of Haut-Brion. It is both strong and
silky. And what else?”

“Beware of what people say. Some may not find that hint of cherry pits,
and they wouldn’t be wrong.”

The guest took the blow without flinching. Benjamin had no trouble
pushing his interrogation further. The Pessac-Léognan grand cru loosened
Virgile’s tongue, and secrets slipped out in every sentence. He recounted his
childhood in Montravel, near Bergerac, where his father was a wine grower who
shipped his harvest to the wine cooperative and had no ambitions for his
estate.

“You’ll take over the business one day, won’t you?” Elisabeth asked.

“I don’t think so. At least not as long as my father is in charge of the
property. My older brother is all they need for now to take care of the
vineyards.”

“That’s too bad. Bergerac wines have come a long way and could certainly
benefit from your talent,” Benjamin said.

“Perhaps one day. I rarely go back, truth be told. Mostly to see my
mother, who accuses me of deserting the nest, and my younger sister, who is the
only one I can confide in.”

He talked a lot, not so much because he wanted to monopolize the
conversation, but rather to satisfy his hosts’ unfeigned curiosity. To earn his
future boss’s trust, he felt it was appropriate to answer the Cooker couple’s
unspoken questions. The winemaker needed to know what was hidden in this
excellent and dedicated student. Never had he experienced a job interview that
was so informal and piecemeal. He disclosed himself without ostentation,
without mystery, and without immodesty. He talked about swimming in the
Dordogne River and playing for the Bergerac rugby club, but only for one
season, because he preferred canoeing and kayaking. He mentioned his first
medals when he joined the swim team, his years studying winemaking at La Tour
Blanche, near Château d’Yquem, before he did his military service, and his
studio apartment on Rue Saint-Rémi, from which you could see a little bit of
the Garonne.

Between two anecdotes, Benjamin went to get a second carafe of
Haut-Brion and allowed himself to share some of his own personal memories. It
pleased Elisabeth to see her husband finally relaxed and able to forget the
tribulations of his writing for a while. Benjamin recounted the crazy,
hare-brained ideas his father, Paul William—an antique dealer in London—had and
his mother Eleonore’s patience. Her maiden name was Fontenac, and she had spent
her entire youth here in Grangebelle, on the banks of the Gironde, before she
fell in love with that extravagant Englishman who collected old books in a shop
at Notting Hill.

Virgile listened. His handsome brown eyes were wide open, and he looked
like a slightly frightened child as he began to fully comprehend that this was
the famous Cooker, the Cooker, whose books he had devoured and who was
now sharing confidences. The oenologist enjoyed telling the young graduate
about his chaotic career. He had studied law for a year in England, spent a
year at the Paris Fine Arts Academy, worked for a year at the Wagons-Lits in
train catering and sleeping-car services, and then bartended for a year at the
Caveau de la Huchette in the capital before being hired at a wine shop in the
fifth arrondissement in Paris, where he worked for three years while taking
wine classes.

“The year I turned thirty, I started my wine consulting business,”
Benjamin said. “Elisabeth and I ended up moving here after my maternal
grandfather, Eugène Fontenac, passed away. Since that day, I haven’t been able
to imagine living anywhere other than Bordeaux.”

“That’s an unusual career path,” Virgile said.

“Yes, it is atypical. I had been around wine since I was a kid, when I
visited my grandfather in Grangebelle during summer vacations, but I needed a
little time for all that to distill. I had a lot of doubts during my Paris
years, and I spent a lot of time searching. I have followed a rather roundabout
path, but I do not regret any of the detours.”

“It’s intriguing, like the path a drop of Armagnac takes before it comes
out of the alembic.”

“That’s a fine image,” Elisabeth said. “But sometimes it is better not
to know all of the mysteries lying in the dark.”

“This is one area in which my wife and I differ. I believe you should
always seek to uncover secrets.”

“I don’t really have an opinion on the subject,” Virgile said, studying
the bottom of his empty glass.

Benjamin Cooker stood up and folded his napkin.

“My dear Virgile, from now on, consider yourself my assistant. We’ll
discuss the conditions later. I hope that this wine cleared your mind, because
I believe you will need all of your faculties. We have a particularly delicate
mission awaiting us.”

“And when will I be starting?”

The winemaker took a last sip of Haut-Brion and set his glass down
slowly. He slipped a hand into his jacket pocket, looked Virgile in the eye,
and handed him a set of keys.

Crossroads by Mary Ting
Can two worlds collide in dreams?
Protecting her from the fallen was his duty.
Falling in love was never part of his plan.
Loving her was forbidden.
Being with her was all that mattered, even if it meant he would be exiled for all eternity.
Claudia Emerson's life is about to change when her good friend, who coincidentally shares the same first and last name, dies in a tragic accident. Distraught at the loss of her friend, Claudia's dreams become tumultuous, and through them she mysteriously travels to another world called Crossroads. There, she unexpectedly meets Michael, a nephilim--half angel, half human. Now that she's been there, fallen and demons are after her, suspecting she must be special, and it is up to Michael and the other nephilim to protect her. Her dream becomes a nightmare as more secrets are revealed about who she really is, and the true identities of the people she loves most.

Praise for Crossroads
“Crossroads by Mary Ting has it all: danger, romance, suspense, incredible characters and an original plot that is sure to thrill. The action never stops as good and evil battle to the death. This well written and fascinating love story will keep readers entranced.”
~ReadersFavorite.com
“Love is in question. Trust is debatable. No one is safe. Between by Mary Ting is an enchanting, nail-biter that will leave you breathless from the exquisite cover to the thrilling end.”
~Gabby, Nashville Young Adult Fiction Examiner/What’s Beyond Forks
“Crossroads is an exciting debut book with a rich paranormal mythology, unique angel-lore, forbidden romance, action, suspense and plot twists. With her detailed writing and a plot that flow wells, Mary created a world I enjoyed visiting, and a story that was hard to put down.”
~Katie with Mundie Moms
“Beyond is an extraordinary story with unforgettable characters, passionately written by an author who clearly understands the true identity of love. Compelling and exciting; this is a must-read for all hardcore fans of the paranormal romance genre.”
~Angie Edwards @ Books4Tomorrow
“Reading the Crossroads Saga has always put me in a very ethereal place while turning its pages. In BEYOND, Mary Ting takes it to another level and I embrace the new darkness with open wings just like Michael would with his heart-shaped wings”
~Yara, Once Upon A Twilight

Bestselling/award-winning author Mary Ting resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children's chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

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